Blast from the past

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Teenage again

Yesterday I had a very strange experience. I had to attend a program for parents of teenagers. How high school would affect them.

I had no clue what it was going to be when I went into the auditorium. There were two coaches who were co-ordinatng the whole discussion and a set of kids which included kids who had passed out of high school and had started college and kids who were still studying as seniors.

As the discussion started and issues like confidence, competence, coping, control , connection, character, competition were introduced I wondered why I am even discussing teenage issues for my kids. It was a revelation that my daughter is going to face all these things.. WOW.. it was a big thing. This cute doll has turned into a full fledge person who would be dealing with all these C's ??? What was happening.. and yes the realization was full when I heard those kids talking so maturely about these topics.

When we are young and are learning to be a teenager, we never think what and why and how about the actions of our parents. Its always a me.. how do I study harder , how do I get more marks, how to enter a certain group, how do I make a friend , how to make myself better.. the whole universe is centered around the "ME". Sometimes these ME's go till adulthood for certain people. One of the kids made a comment that parents are only people who feed us, clothe us and look after us. They become persons when the kids themselves become parents and start observing how their parents would have done certain things. How true !!! It was a very profound statement coming from a teenager..

So is it correct that today's teenager is more stressed out ? I don't agree. Teenagers across generations have faced same stresses about life, where I will be in the near future, but they have lots of facilities now a days, lots of opportunities which was not available to us. Every generation will be a step forward with more opportunities. They should take the experiences of the previous generation and move smoothly ahead.

I was being a teenager again and thinking what I would have done differently now that I am more mature with my wisdom of age. Maybe I would have been more sensitive to my parents needs and be more participative in their lives.

Since that is not possible as we cannot reverse time still,  I have decided to open a part of me to my kids and let them come in and see what I am. They can learn from my experiences but at the same time I will let them experience their own life by experimenting and trying. This way they will know they have lived their own life and not a life of their parents because the experiences were always their parents. There has to be a balance of both, so that we do not miss on our lives.

It's not an easy step but yes I would love to be a teenager again. Wouldn't you too ?

2015 - A new beginning - Day 3

Yes !!! .. Its a big thing for me.. third day !!!

Every time I think of starting something, the whole universe conspires to stop me..and made everything possible.. 

First it started with the long weekend.. you know how it is when it's long weekend , who works.. its weekend , hurrah !!! .. so its a weekend and no mood to exercise. Still I decided and as in previous posts I started the yoga session. 

Second my son fell sick. And falling sick means waking up at night and sleeping during the day.

Following are the advantages of doing kapal bhati pranayam : 

1. Clears the  energy channels
2. Stimulates abdominal organs and thus is extremely useful to those with diabetes
3. Improves blood circulation and adds radiance to the face
4. Improves digestive tract functioning, absorption and assimilation of nutrients
5. Helps in a taut and trimmed down belly
6. Energizes the nervous system and rejuvenates brain cells
7. Calms and uplifts the mind

Wow !!! The benefits are amazing.. All that I want to achieve.. and I am pretty sure, its all that you would also want to achieve. 

Now even though I have known these benefits since years , I have not been able to do pranayams regularly. The whole plan is to do this so regularly that it becomes a habit and a part of my life. It should get stitched into the fabric of my everyday !

Plan : Do it everyday. If not done, it should leave engaging feeling that It is left and needs to be done.

Maybe tying this activity to some other activity should help.. say I will not eat anything till I finish my exercises ?? what do you say ? Would love to get some suggestions and some ideas.. who can help me here ?

Want to know more about Kapal Bhati Pranayams .. here.. 

Restroom behavior for a better society

Inspite of all that people say about India, about pollution and dirt, there is a different emotional familiarity about  this dirt and pollution.. something different in the air.

The air has a warmth which envelops you in a motherly hug. So soft and so cozy.

As I came out of the airport, I loved the chaos. The only thing that bothered me was cleanliness, starting from the ladies restrooms at the airport. Ladies forget that they have to queue up as soon as they put their foot on indian grounds. We are trained to be the best. Okay, what do I mean by best here.. if I get to go to the toilet  before anyone else in the restroom, I am privileged. The same feeing lies for everything else, whether buying vegetables or buying tickets. People would jostle and push each other to get that one minute advantage. It makes us feel important. It's in our blood.

I had gone to a restaurant in California, where a party was going on. I was standing in queue at the ladies toilet when a lady with a small girl came and stood behind me. The girl must be around 4 years of age and was jumping up and down and it was quiet obvious she wanted to desperately go. As my turn came , I asked the lady whether she would like to take the kid before me. The lady politely and stiffly refused and told me its okay. She should go when her turn comes. She should wait for her turn. This incident struck me. This was the root of all this discipline. Discipline from childhood. Had she accepted she would have shown the child that she was more privileged than others n need not wait in line.

A society can be seen as chaotic or disciplined based on how people behave inside restrooms.

You might think I am being prejudiced towards my own kind. Some people might not like it. In fact if I were reading the same I might not like it. But this is the reality isn't it ? Most of us think this way. So the underlying question is why can't we improve ourselves. If each of us sheds his ego and sense of importance and consider everyone as equal, we would be a better society.

2015 - A new beginning - Day 2

Day 2 as Day 1 was the day I took a plunge and decided to do it.. but Day 1 and Day 2 started late.. They should have started on 1st of January 2015 , well it took lot of resolve and lot of determination to reach to this point. It took days of thinking and pondering whether to do it or not, whether to invest my time in something else.

Lets assume that Day 18 is Day 2 and the Last day for this challenge will be Day 17 of January 2016.

Day 18 = Day 2 

The above formula looks nice. Somehow I was feeling like writing a mathematical formula in my post and voila' here it is.. 

So day 2 started I woke up at 8 am with some excuses from the lazy side of me like of its already late, now you have to make tea and by the time you are ready for yoga exercises it will be time or breakfast. Since yesterday I had heard Ramdevji in the evening and started the whole routine during evening the memories and experiences were fresh in mind and body. The better side of me was stronger today and made it a resolve to do the yoga no matter what. I promised to myself not to put anything in my mouth unless I do it.. if not exercise, at least do the pranayams.

I finally got up and started making tea. Made it and kept everything on hold to start my morning exercises. Hurrah. I did manage to finish the first day successfully.

The whole experience has given me some energy and a further resolve to continue this tomorrow. Lets say.. this time I will take each challenge per day..

2015 - A new beginning

I took too long to reach to this point. Its been so many days already, year 2015 has started in a new land among new people, a new life.

I have taken it very easy since past few months.. no exercise at all.  All I have done is to bring the mat from inside the store till the room and scared at it, imagining myself doing all kind of exercises. Maybe thats the reason my weight has not increased inspite of eating all times and no exercise.

Todays post was inspired after listening to Baba RamdevJi's lectures for two days. Finally.. I did it.

I have started a set of exercises recommended by Babaji followed by pranayam.

I will make an entry everyday and check myself in.  Lets see whether this will be another futile start or something does happen because of this..

Good night everyone.. and Good day to everyone at the other end of the world..

The reason of my existence

I have heard lots of expressions from my son and my daughter including I love you, I hate you, I like you and I want you to be with me forever.. but the best one was the latest one.. “Your smell is the reason of of my existence !!!”.. it was a surprise…

I had gone out since morning for some exercising. When I returned back after 2 hours, I was all drenched in sweat.. all smelling and feeling very tired. As soon as I entered all I wanted to do was to lie down and sleep for a while.. of course we all need a nice nap after any form of exercise..

My son saw me and came running.. and shouting ..”Where were you ?” , he started smelling me and said “Oh ! the reason of my existence ”  I was so surprised and wondered whether he had read this expression somewhere.. no he had not.. it was such a genuine statement coming from a ten year old.  “Mom, your smell is what I was missing “..

Made me crumble inside..